Non-refillable bottle.



No. 676,715. Patented lune I8, l90l. F. FRANZ.

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

(Application filed Oct. 26, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT r rront FERDINAND FRANZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

NON-'REFH LABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 676,715, dated June 18,1901.

Application filed October 26, 1900. Serial No. 34,418. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND FRANZ, a citizen of the United States,residing. in the city and county of San Franciscofitate ofCalifornia,have invented an Improvement in Non- Refillable Bottles; andI hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

My invention relates to a device for preventing the refilling of bottlesand like packages, and in conjunction therewith of a means whereby theclosing valve is opened by positive action when it is desired todischarge the contents of the bottle.

It consists of an annular disk having a central opening with upturnedflange, the periphery of said disk fitting upon a corresponding surfaceof the bottle-neck for which it forms a closure. Through the centralopening in the disk passes a rod having a second disk upon its upper endlocated at a short distance from the upturned flange of the first disk,and between the two is a loose valve which closes down upon the edge ofthe opening and prevents ingress or egress of the bottled contents. Thetop of the upper disk has an upturned flange around its edge, and acomically-shaped cap has legs or projections which fit upon the lowerdisk. The cone inclosing the smaller upper disk and valve and theopenings between the legs of the cone allow for the escape of liquidwhen the bottle is to be emptied. Within the cone is a ball whichnormally rests upon the upper plate and by its weight assists in keepingthe intermediate valve closed; but when the bottle is inverted to emptyits contents as soon as the incline of the inside of the cone is lowerthan the horizontal line the ball will roll away from the plate, thusleaving it free. A guided rod is fixed to the upper disk and'extendsdown through the opening of the lower disk and into the interior of thebottle. Upon this rod a weight is loosely slidable, and when the bottlehas thus been tilted and the ball has rolled away'from the upper diskthis weight slides down the rod and striking a sleeve or collar thereonit acts by the concussion to force the closingvalve away from its seat,and thus allow the liquid to escape. WVhenever the bottle lies in anyposition from the horizontal to an upright one, the ball will roll downthe interior of the cone and press against the upper disk, so as toinsure the closing of the valve and prevent the introduction of anyliquid from the outside. These parts are all inclosed in an outer neckwhich is adapted to receive the cork or stopper, and the cone may have asmall central opening in the top, through which an elastic wire fixed tothe cork extends, and this wire pressing upon the top of the upper diskwhile the cork is in place prevents the valve being opened byany changein position of the bottle; but when the cork is removed it relieves thedisk and allows the valve to be opened, as previously described.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be morefully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure l is a vertical section through my improved bottle. Fig. 2 is asimilar view, but showing the action of the interior mech anism whenliquid is being poured out. Fig. 3 is a plan taken on the line 00 cc ofFig. 1. Fig. 4. is a plan of the disk.

The bottle may be constructed in any suit able manner. In the presentillustration I have shown the main part A having a sufficiently wideneck with a fiat and preferably ground surface at the top. Upon thisrests an independent neck portion 2, which is fitted upon the top of thebottle-neck, and may be cemented or otherwise attached after the interior parts are in place, and outside of these two is an inclosing band3 of metal which holds the whole firmly together and prevents theirbeing separated without the destruction of the band.

4. is a thin disk of sufiicient diameter, so that its outer peripheryrests upon the top of the bottle and is held in place permanently whenthe neck has been attached. The center of this disk has an opening, theedgebeing turned up to form a fiange 5 with a thin edge which serves asa seat for the valve 6. This valve is loosely fitted upon a rod whichextends down into the bottle and is guided, as at 7, so as to maintainit in the center of the opening in the disk 4. On the upper end of thisrod is fixed another disk, as 8, of smaller diameter than the disk 4,and the loose disk 6 lies between the enlarged hub of the disk 8 and asleeve or collar fixed upon the rod just below. As the disk valve 6 isloose upon the rod and the space between the hub and collar or sleeve issuflicient for the purpose the, valve may tilt and move freely in anydirection, so that when the bottle is in an essentially upright positionthe valve will close down upon the edge of the valveseat 5 and form asuificiently tight joint to prevent escape of liquid. The rod 9 has aweight 10 slidable upon it. A collar or stop 11 limits the movement ofthis weight at the lower end of the rod, which is in this case shown tobe near the bottom of the interior of the bottle, and another collar 12,fixed to the rod near the guide, receives the impact of the weight whichslides upon the rod when the bottle is inverted, and this impact of theweight acts to force the valve away from its seat by a positive motion.In order to protect these parts from being tampered with and also toinsure the valve remaining closed at all times except when the bottle isto be emptied, I have shown a cone 13, having an essentially cylindricalbase 14 of larger diameter and projecting lugs or supports, as 15, whichare adapted to rest and be secured upon the disk 4 and inclosing theupper disk 8, which is thus allowed to move freely inside the base ofthe cone.

WVithin the cone a ball 16 of considerable weight is freely movable, andwhen the bottle is in an upright position the ball rests upon the upperdisk 8, the upturned edge or flange of which prevents its running offthe disk while being put in place. The relation of the angular portionbetween the base of the cone and the cylindrical lower part is such thatwhen the bottle is laid upon the side the ball will rest against thisangle and will thus exert a pressure against the upper disk to keep thevalve closed until after the bottle has been inverted to such an extentthat the ball can roll up the convergent interior of the cone toward theupper end. As soon as this occurs it will relieve the disk, valve, androd of the weight and pressure and will leave the valve free to beopened; but under ordinary conditions the capillary attraction oradherence caused by the liquid may prevent the Valve from readilyopening. At this juncture the weight 10, sliding upon the rod 9, willstrike the sleeve or collar 12 with a sufficient force to insure thevalve being forced away from its seat and the passage opened for thedischarge of the liquid. The liquid thus escaping flows outwardly aroundthe disk 8 and thence through the opening be-" tween the legs orprojections 15 at the base of the cone and thence out through the neckof the bottle. The moment the bottle is tilted back to anywhere near thehorizontal position the ball will roll down the divergent side of theinterior of the cone and striking the disk 8 will again force the valveinto a closed position, so that it will be impossible to force anyliquid into the bottle in any position which it may occupy eithersubmerged or otherwise.

' The cone, the disks, and the general arrangement of the interior aresuch that it is not possible to tamper with the parts by wire orotherwise.

' It is desirable after a bottle has been filled to prevent any escapeof the liquid from the body of the bottle into the neck, and such escapemight occur in a bottle stoppered and sealed, if it was inverted. Itherefore fix the slender wire 16 into the cork or stopper, and thispasses through a small hole in the top of the cone. The Wire may be bentor coiled so as to have a certain amount of elasticity, and the innerend of the wire will press against the upper disk 8 when the cork is inplace and will thus prevent this disk and the valve being moved to allowthe escape of the liquid through the passage which is closed by thevalve. WVhen the stopper is removed, the wire will also be withdrawn andthe parts then released.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a bottle of an annular disk closing the upperend interior to the neck, said disk having an upturned flange around thecentral opening, a rod guided and slidable within said opening having adisk fixed upon its upper end and a valve intermediate the two disksadapted to close upon the edge of the opening.

2. The combination with a bottle of a disk closing the space interior tothe neck and having a central opening with an upturned flange or seat, arod guided and slidable centrally within said opening, a disk fixed tothe upper end of said rod, a valve loosely movable upon the rod, andcollars between which the valve is maintained in position so that itwill close and fit upon the seat.

3. The combination with a bottle of a disk fitting and closing the spacewithin the neck and having a central opening with an upturned flangeforming a valve-seat, a rod guided and slidable centrally through saidopening having a disk fixed upon its upper end, a valve loose upon therod adapted to close upon the edge of the opening of the lower disk, andcollars by which the valve is maintained in position, a weight slidableupon the rod interior to the bottle and collars or stops between whichit is movable.

4. The combination with a bottle of a fixed disk closing the interior ofthe neck and having a central opening with an upturned flange forming avalve-seat, a rod guided and slidable centrally through said opening,the lower end extending into the interior of the bottle, a disk fixed tothe upper end of the rod, a valve loosely carried upon the rod betweenthe two disks and adapted to close upon the valve-seat by gravitation, aweight slidable upon the rod interior to the bottle and a collar or stopfixed to the rod near its guides too against which the weight strikeswhen the bottle is inverted so as to open the valve by positive stroke.

5. The combination with a bottle of a disk closing the interior of theneck having a central opening with upturned flange forming a valve-seat,a rod guided and slidable centrally within said opening extending intothe interior of the bottle, a disk fixed to the upper end of the rod, avalve loose upon the rod between the two disks and closable bygravitation upon the seat of the lower disk, a hollow cone fixed uponthe first-named disk and inclosing the upper disk and valve, said conehaving escape-openings around its base and a ball contained within saidcone adapted to rest upon the upper disk and maintain the valve in aclosed position.

6. The combination with a bottle of a fixed disk closing the interior ofthe neck having a central opening with upturned flange forming avalve-seat, a rod guided and slidable centrally through said opening,the inner end extending into the interior of the bottle and carrying aslidable weight or hammer, a disk fixed upon the upper end of the rodhaving an upturned flange around its periphery, a

valve loosely carried upon the rod between the disks and adapted toclose upon the valvethe bottle is inverted so as to relieve the disk andvalve of its pressure to allow the liquid to be discharged.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FERDINAND FRANZ.

WVitnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, CHAS. E. TOWNSEND,

